37 Lankans heading for Australia nabbed

September 22nd, 2010
DC Correspondent

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Sept. 21: As many as 37 Sri Lankan nationals were apprehended after making a bid to escape to Australia by sea in the latest attempt by refugees from the island nation attempting to sail Down Under in small vessels.

The Sri Lankans were detained by the police at Tiruchy and were on Monday sent back to various refugee camps.

The Q branch police stopped and questioned them while they were travelling together by bus in Tiruchy. “They had assembled in Chennai to meet an agent who promised to take them to Australia by,” a police source said. “But when the agent failed to turn up, they travelled to Tiruchy.”

The police also detained three Sri Lankans in Chennai. They were also trying to travel by sea to Australia, the police said. A month ago, the police had arrested a Sri Lankan refugee group, preparing to leave for Australia on a motorised boat, from a lodge in Kanyakumari.

“Many refugees from the island nation now staying in various camps in Tamil Nadu are desperately trying to go abroad by illegal means,” said a Q branch official. The Tamil Nadu police had in earlier months had arrested at least two Sri Lankans who had allegedly tried to organise such voyages for refugees. In first week of August, the Kerala police arrested S.R. Sivakumar, 50, believed to be a LTTE operative in Tamil Nadu.

Sivakumar was arrested as part of investigation into attempts to traffic Sri Lankans from the Kerala coast in May. The cops believe that Sivakumar is only a minor link in a larger chain spread across the various countries that is engaged in massive human trafficking, for a possible regrouping of the LTTE.

“Whenever such trafficking comes to our notice, we take action immediately. Some refugees try to go to foreign countries to earn money and not with any militant intentions,” a senior Q branch officer said. Sri Lankan refugees are ready to take the risk of travelling to far-away countries like Australia and Canada using motorboats. They think they will be able to lead a decent life if they reach foreign shores, the officer added.  (deccan chronicle)